All the Proof Needed
by Outsiders Obsessor
Summary: Asta returns to the Ragged Flagon covered from head to toe in blood after her job at Goldenglow Estate. Delvin sees how tired she looks and offers her a drink, but Brynjolf interrupts the two in order to speak to his protégé about the business and what she's deduced about Aringoth. Asta is all too ready to tell the redhead about her skill in battle. Rated T for blood and murder.


**All the Proof Needed**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the canon characters; they belong to Bethesda Studios. Asta is my female Nord Dragonborn, in case you haven't read any of my previous works. **

Asta practically staggers into the Ragged Flagon as feelings of exhaustion, hunger, and soreness overtake her body. Though, if her beast-blood has anything to say about it, Asta knows her rest will be almost nonexistent instead of refreshing. As the female Nord scours the Ragged Flagon for her mentor, she offers a kind smile to Delvin, a gesture the man returns.

"How'd it go?" Delvin inquires, knowing that the Thieves Guild's newest recruit is just returning from her mission to Goldenglow Estate to prove Aringoth has betrayed Maven.

"About as well as you could expect, Delvin," Asta heavily sighs, sitting in the chair across from the bald Breton. "If Vex had a hard time breaking in with her skills, you can imagine how difficult I found it at first," she explains, taking off her Thieves Guild hood to wipe dirt and sweat off her brow. "Got it done, though."

"As I expected you would," Delvin grins before retrieving two tankards and a bottle of mead from the cabinet next to the table. "You've got a good head on your shoulders, Asta. Don't ever lose it. You an' me use our intelligence and reason while the others…" he trails off, laughter present in his eyes.

Asta takes the tankard of mead Delvin offers her and takes a long swig in the manner Torvar and the others taught her back at Jorrvaskr. Before becoming a Companion and now a member of the Thieves Guild, the brown-haired Nord rarely touched mead due to her father's addiction with it. As Harbinger, though, it would seem disrespectful to decline celebratory mead; besides, Farkas and Vilkas taught Asta how to hold her mead.

A sudden voice startles Asta and Delvin out of their conversation and drink.

"I hope you're not talking to my protégé about her first real job before I am, Del," Brynjolf's voice floats through the Ragged Flagon.

The Dragonborn cannot see the hulking redhead, so her ice blue eyes scan for her mentor.

"Gods, Brynjolf! You scared me!" Asta nearly yelps as one of the man's massive hands settles on her shoulders.

"My apologies, lass," Brynjolf quietly says, handing Asta a wet cloth to clean to remaining blood and grime off her face. "The shadows and I have a way of working together," he smirks, and Delvin barely resists the urge to sigh at the joke.

"I see," Asta mumbles as she presses the cool cloth to her face. "Do you want me to report about the Goldenglow job?" she questions, looking Brynjolf in his eyes.

"Not here. Let's go somewhere private away from prying ears," Brynjolf instructs, standing away from the table. "Follow me."

"If you want more info on the numbers job, come see me," Delvin directs to Asta.

"Thanks, Delvin."

"Of course. I like our little talks."

Before Brynjolf can lead Asta away, Delvin tells the redhead he needs a word.

"Don't say anything to scare her off," Delvin instructs, a stern look on his face. "I like this one, Bryn. She's the best recruit we've had since Vex."

"I like her, too," Brynjolf agrees in a low voice where Asta can't overhear. "She's in good hands, Del."

With one last look back at Delvin, Asta follows behind Brynjolf, still not used to the fact that her new boots do not make any noise against the cobblestone.

"Are you injured?" Brynjolf immediately asks once they enter his chambers.

Mercer would not take too kindly to having a recruit lying in bed while injured after only one job. Brynjolf had seen that side of Mercer Frey before, and it was not a pretty sight.

"No. Why do you ask?" Asta inquires in confusion, not pegging the master thief in front of her as the sympathetic kind.

"Well, your armor's covered in blood, lass. _You're _covered in blood," the redheaded Nord explains, a slight look of concern on his face.

"It's not mine," the Dragonborn assures, her voice confident and hiding a laugh at Bryn's expression of confusion.

"Not yours? Then what…?"

"Aringoth had fifteen mercenaries. I killed them all single-handedly."

"_Fifteen? _Vex said there were only six. Are you hallucinatin', lass?" Brynjolf questions, not sure if Asta is telling the truth, exaggerating the tale, or is delusional from blood loss.

"No. _I'm not," _Asta practically growls, barely able to contain the beast within her as the wolf howls for bloodshed. "I'm the Dragonborn of legend. I've killed dragons nearly singlehandedly with my housecarl and then slaughtered two camps of Stormcloaks for good measure," Asta explains, her voice gruff and her blue eyes narrowing as she wonders why Brynjolf is so skeptical about her abilities. "I am _perfectly _capable of dispatching of fifteen terribly equipped and horribly trained mercenaries," she points out, her silver tongue that can match Vilkas' coming out in full force with her explanations. "Understood?"

"Understood," Brynjolf laughs, thinking of how glad he is that Asta is on their side. "You're a tough woman, Asta. It's a pleasure to have you in the Guild. Now, about Goldenglow…"

"I think this is all the proof you need," Asta smirks triumphantly, pulling the blood-stained deed of sale from the pocket of her armor.

Brynjolf just _knows _this woman will make a fine Nightingale.

The next time Asta returns to the Ragged Flagon covered in blood, Brynjolf can't help but crack a joke.

"And how many people's blood do you wear today, lass?" he teases.

"Eight. I was ambushed by bandits outside the Rift," she reveals.

"Only eight? Seems like a low number for you," Brynjolf cheekily smirks.

"It's an off day for me. But, I killed a dragon yesterday, so it honestly makes up for it, I think."

They can't help but laugh as Delvin spits out his mead in alarm.

**Author's Note: Author's Note: And there it is! My fourth ****_Skyrim _****story! I can't believe this makes the fourth one already! I just started playing the game again about a month or two ago for the first time in nearly four years due to a broken disc! I got the idea for this story while finishing up the Goldenglow Estate job and returning to the Ragged Flagon to be asked by Delvin to stop and have a drink. So, this story was born! Plus, I love Brynjolf's sassy attitude, so I wanted him and Asta to have that little joke at the end that makes Delvin realize he's dedicated his life to living with a bunch of crazy people whom he loves like family. I hope you all enjoyed this story; be on the lookout for other ****_Skyrim _****stories from me! (I already have plenty of story ideas written down!) Reviews are always greatly appreciated! Until next time, my dear readers! Have an amazing day, afternoon, or night! **


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